Page 111 of Beat around the Bush
Lennon headed off into the barn with Beckham and Bailey as Lettie, Brandy, and I walked up the porch steps to sit on the porch swing. I waved to Charlotte through the window before sitting down next to the two of them. We swung our legs side by side, looking out at the land before us.
“I’m staying in Bell Buckle,” I blurted out. I wasn’t sure if anyone thought I was leaving or not, but I wanted them to know that I appreciated their friendship. That I loved them and didn’t want to leave anytime soon.
Lettie laid her head on my shoulder as the swing kept rocking. “I had a feeling you would. Bell Buckle has a way of making people stay.”
“I’m glad my favorite people aren’t going anywhere,” Brandy admitted.
Lettie lifted her head. “We’re your favorite?”
Brandy nodded. “Well, and my mom. But I love you guys.”
“I love you, too, Brandy,” Lettie said with tears welling in her eyes.
“Me, too,” I admitted. I did love them. I loved a lot about Bell Buckle, but the people in it were at the top of my list.
This was home.
42
Lennon
The cowbell above the door at Bell Buckle Brews chimed as Oakley and I walked in, the smell of coffee beans and freshly baked pastries instantly filling my nose.
“Hi, Lennon!” Avery greeted from the table she sat at by the window.
“Good morning. Your mom make her white chocolate cranberry scones this morning?” I asked, already knowing the answer with the scent that surrounded me.
Avery nodded with too much energy for this early in the morning, dropping her colored pencil on the table and ditching her drawing to skip up to the bakery case. “They’re right here. Still warm, too.”
“Avery, sweetie, where’s my-” Sage cut off when she saw me and Oakley approaching the counter. The door to the back swung shut behind her. “Hey, you two! How is everything?”
She looked at Oakley with a bit of concern, like she wasn’t sure how to tread after the incident at Tumbleweed Feed.
Oakley offered her a smile as we came to a stop in front of the register. “We’re doing good. How about you?”
Sage grimaced, but quickly covered it up with a closed-lip smile. “Getting by.”
I left the two of them to talk as I bent down next to Avery, who was practically drooling over the baked goods.
“Your mom being a baker gave you a pretty big sweet tooth, huh?” I asked Avery.
She nodded, turning to me with big hazel eyes. “Mom says I got it from her.”
I smiled. “Must run in the family.”
Her eyes dropped to the logo on my shirt, then darted to her mom. “Mom, I want a horse.”
Sage stopped mid-sentence to turn her attention on Avery, sadness with a hint of exhaustion furrowing her brows. “How do you think a horse is going to fit in our house, Avery?”
Avery shrugged as I straightened. “Like how everyone else does it, I guess.”
“People who live in houses like ours don’t have horses,” Sage told her daughter.
Avery crossed her arms. “Well, when can I get one?”
Getting the feeling that Avery was going to be disappointed with her mother’s answer, given the look on Sage’s face, I interrupted. “How would you feel about riding a horse?” I asked Avery.
Her eyes lit up. “Really?”
